Lara (Long-Fic Levihan | Armin Arlert X OC)

Chapter 86 - Blood

Lara couldn't feel her fingertips anymore.

She, Hange, and Levi were still being dragged by the freezing waters of that strong river flow.

The few Jaëgerists who were still chasing them were now dots on the horizon. It would take them at least a good few minutes to catch up.

Lara looked at her mother, who was as white as a sheet of paper, her eyes wide and her jaw shivering with the cold.

Among them, the blood that did not stop coming out of Levi mixed with the waters.

"We gotta get out of here!" exclaimed Lara, trying to make her voice be heard above the strong noise of the flow, "We need to find a shelter, right now! Mom!" she turned to Hange, "You know this area better than I do, can you tell me where we are?!"

Floating, Hange looked at her husband, passed out in the girls' arms, then she looked around, running her free hand over her face to clean herself.

"I-I believe we're close to the camp where your father stayed with Zeke and the other soldiers," she replied, placing her hand in front of her belly to protect herself from anything that was under the water.

Lara breathed a sigh of relief. There, at least they would have a little chance of finding some supplies.

"Great!" she exclaimed, "Let's go then! Hold Daddy and grab my cloak! I'll get us out of here!"

Hange entwined Levi in one of her arms and with the other, held onto Lara's green cloak, who propelled herself to the side, swimming hard until she reached the bank of the river. Lara tossed the rifle to the grass ahead and grabbed the reeds with all the strength she found in her body.

"Hang in there, Mom!" she exclaimed, clenching her teeth. "Brace yourself, I'll get up!"

Turning red, such strength she was making, Lara emerged from the waters and managed to get out. She quickly turned around and pulled her mother and father up too. Hange landed on her back, her chest rising and falling from extreme exhaustion.

"There, there, Tiny-Human-Bean..." Hange stroked her belly, huffing, "Your sister helped us..."

Lara was on her feet, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Ahead of her, Levi was still passed out. Quickly, she took his own green cloak and wrapped it around his face, trying to cover the big cut that ran across it.

Lara felt her heart tighten as she glanced at the state of her father's face and pressed her eyes together to get that vision out of her head.

"Mom," she called, panting, "are you okay?! And the baby?!"

"We're good, sweetheart," replied Hange, sitting up and helping her to cover Levi's face. "We gotta find the camp now before they find us!"

Hange barely said that and they heard the swift hooves of the Jaëgerists' horses approaching. They stared at each other in horror and then at Levi.

They froze for a second. Then, Hange grabbed Lara's shoulders.

"Take your father and run in that direction," she pointed to a certain place between the giant pine trees that rose in front of them. "The camp's in that area. Give me that rifle. I'll stay and finish them off!"

Before Lara could argue anything back, Hange placed her index finger in front of her daughter's mouth.

"I cannot carry your father, I can't carry any weight," Hange looked down at her belly with a meaningful look. "But I can deliver a precise shot. I'll eliminate them and meet you right after!"

Lara pressed her lips together and frowned.

"Dang it!" she thought, running a hand over her face.